IPB University Wacana Forum Conducts Live in Village in Three Villages of Pamijahan Bogor
IPB University’s Postgraduate Student Forum (Wacana) Department of Community Development (Comdev) successfully carried out a series of community service activities in Ciasihan Village, Cibunian Village, and Ciasmara Village. The three villages are located in Pamijahan District, Bogor Regency, West Java.
The Live in Village 2024 program is aimed at empowering the community through various sustainable initiatives. In addition, the presence of students is expected to provide significant benefits to the local community through increasing the capacity of human resources (HR) and developing village potential.
During the four-day event, IPB University Postgraduate students organized a number of programs designed to address various important issues in the community. These programs covered the areas of health, economy, environment, and education. One of the main focuses was to increase the community’s knowledge and skills in child nutrition, which is expected to produce a healthier and more competitive generation.
The chief of the committee, Wawan Kuswandi, SPt, expressed his hope. “We hope that this activity will not only provide short-term benefits but also be the beginning of closer cooperation between students, communities, and other stakeholders. Hopefully the results of this activity can continue to be felt and developed by the community.”
In addition, an economic empowerment program through micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) training was also held to help the community utilize local products, such as processing guava into jams and sweets. This initiative provides direct benefits in the form of improved skills in product processing and marketing, which is expected to improve the village economy.
Chairman of the IPB University Discourse Forum, Deli Wakano, SPd, MSi also added, “Through this activity, we want to prove that with high dedication, collaboration between the academic world and the community can produce innovative and applicable solutions. Hopefully this activity will motivate all parties to continue to contribute to the progress of the village and the surrounding environment.”
Environmental issues do not escape the attention of IPB University Postgraduate students. Therefore, conservation education activities are also carried out. Environmental conservation through conservation education is an important part. Conservation education through the implementation of tree planting in Cibunian Village is a concrete step in increasing community awareness and participation in environmental conservation.
In addition, maggot cultivation training was also being implemented as an innovative solution in organic waste management, which not only helps reduce waste but also offers economic potential through maggot as a high-quality animal feed.
Another program is the literacy corner, which also involves digital literacy activities and scholarship information sharing. Through this program, students are taught how to use social media wisely and creatively, and are given motivation to pursue higher education.
One of the sponsors of this activity, Aditya Kusuma Wardhana as Community Development Specialist at Star Energy Geothermal Indonesia also gave his perspective. “We believe that empowerment and human resource capacity building are key to achieving progress and sustainability. We hope that this activity can inspire the village community to develop local potential and create new economic opportunities.”
As a whole, these community service activities have had a positive impact on the people of Ciasihan, Cibunian and Ciasmara Villages. In addition to providing new knowledge and skills, these programs also encourage active community participation in the development of their villages.
Through this activity, IPB Discourse Forum succeeded in bridging science with real practice, strengthening the relationship between students and society, and contributing to sustainable development.
“Through this activity, we hope to make a real contribution in empowering the community, improving welfare, and preserving the environment. Hopefully, cooperation between students, communities, and related parties can continue to be established to create sustainable and prosperous village development,” Deli concluded. (*/Rz) (IAAS/ZQA)
